Blood of Angels
by Audrey414
Summary: Hermione, recently changed into a vampire, is struggling with her control while teaching at Hogwarts. Draco, also a vampire, is busy teaching her the secrets of their world. An unknown danger lurks in the shadows, waiting to strike innocent lives.
1. First Taste

The Great Hall was empty, save for one woman sitting at the Head Table. The rest of the professors and staff would be arriving the following day at noon, but she wasn't afforded that privilege. She was saddened by this, especially as she had often dreamed of one day arriving at Hogwarts on the train pulled by that single golden engine that brought the rest of the staff. It had always seemed so much more luxurious than the red engine that brought the students. _At least half of my wish came true_, she thought. And it was true- Hermione Jean Granger had recently been hired to teach at the school she loved so dearly.

She ran her tongue across her teeth as she pushed the food around her plate. It was an oddly comforting habit considering the circumstances… She unconsciously hissed as her thoughts bent down that path, which, in turn, angered her even more. Flaring her nose and breathing deeply, she stuffed a mouthful of food into her mouth. It tasted like dirt, so unlike the liquid she was craving.

"Oh, what the hell was Minerva thinking!? Better yet, what was I thinking!? I can't believe I'm here: it's not safe! Even with the potions from Snape… I still crave it- crave it so deeply! Oh, how I want it! And what if I hurt someone- what then!? It won't even be Azkaban for me; it'll be the bloody sun! And…"

"You know talking to yourself is a sign of mental instability." A voice interrupted her not-so-internal rambling, shocking her greatly. For one thing, she was supposed to be the only one, save the House Elves and ghosts, at Hogwarts. For another, she hadn't _heard_ him approach and she couldn't _smell_ him now.

He realized her shock and smirked. "Forgive me for startling you, I was just under the impression that I was the only 'Child of the Night' employed here. My name is Draco Malfoy."

"I-" She wasn't sure exactly what to say to this man. And he was a _man_, albeit an _immortal man_ (she hadn't missed his 'Child of the Night' comment). "I'm Her- Hermione Granger. I thought that the rest of the staff was set to arrive tomorrow…"

He made her nervous, but whether it was his slender build, stormy-grey eyes, or his unexpected entrance, she wasn't sure. Draco cocked his head in surprise. "Hermione Granger? Not _the_ Hermione Granger? You're teaching here? After all your adventures I figured you'd be off touring the world with the rest of your Trio."

"Well then, you obviously know nothing about me," she snapped. She didn't need a vacation, especially one that she wouldn't enjoy because of a certain gaseous body around which their planet orbited. Who does this guy think he is, she thought.

"I apologize. I did not mean to imply that I knew anything about you." The look on his face showed that he was much more amused than his words let on. "I did, however, overhear your worry about your control. If I may ask, why is that?"

She stood and walked past him, leaving the Great Hall. "Because I have none. I've barely had this… _condition_… two months and the Headmistress will not let me out of my contract." She really wished he would leave her alone.

He was now in front of her, walking backwards. "Maybe she trusts you. I mean, you are the 'Greatest Witch of Our Time.' Are you not?" He chuckled, actually using his fingers to make air quotes. He may have meant to amuse her, but he only pushed her annoyance to a new level.

She hissed, "Yes, but how can she trust me when I don't trust myself?"

He stopped then, a determined look in his eyes. "Come with me." He walked away so quickly, it was if he was floating. Hermione had to run to keep up with him. "You'll find your Power soon enough and then you won't have to do that," he said without once looking behind him. He led her deep into the dungeons before coming to a stop in front of a simple, wooden door.

Hermione looked around. "My room is right across the hall!"

He raised an eyebrow and followed her line of sight. "Probably so I can keep an eye on you… since you're not convinced you can control yourself." He shrugged and disappeared into the darkness of his room.

She stood there, gaping, for several minutes after he had entered the room, not quite sure what to think. Finally, at great length, she entered.

* * *

**Yes, I know this chapter is short, but I promise that they won't all be like this. The next chapter will explain why they don't know one another previously. Either chapter three or chapter four will have Hermione's turning story. The "Vampire stuff" will mostly be from the Vampire Diaries - not Twilight, sorry. **

**Let me know what you think! **


	2. Darkness of Memories

**Here's chapter two. This will explain why they didn't know one another for all those who were wondering. I had planned on having chapter three written before I posted this one, but I decided to post it now even though the next chapter isn't finished. Please be sure to review so I know if this is something readers enjoy or not. **

He was seated comfortably in front of the fireplace when she entered. From the look (and smell) of it, it was blood he was sipping from a fine crystal goblet. Its mate was waiting for her on a small table. "Sorted your thoughts, have you?"

She paused mid-motion, halfway between the still-open door and the table with its glass. _ I didn't even make a sound,_ she thought. Continuing forward, she grabbed the glass and sat in the chair across from Draco. She glared which caused the smirk to reappear on his face. "How old are you?"

"I am the same age as you. And before you ask, no, I was not recently turned like you. I was turned a very, very long time ago."

"So you're physically the same age as me, but not actually the same age." She rolled her eyes. Of course he would have to be Ancient to have _that_ kind of Power, she thought.

"No, I'm not Ancient like you're thinking. We _are_ the same age."

Hermione narrowed her eyes; either he was lying or he was telling the truth and something _else_ was going on. And how did he know what she was thinking? She clutched at her wand, still tucked in her pocket, ready to make an escape if the situation warranted it. "Explain."

He smirked and swirled the blood around in his glass. "You can put your wand down. I'm not as evil as you think I am, though I admit I have my moments. But why take my word? You are a newborn, still flush with your vampiric gifts, and a skilled witch to boot. My expertise lies outside of the realm of wand work, although I _can_ hold my own in a duel. What harm could I _possibly_ do to you? "

She hissed.

"Alright. I _am_ the same age as you; yet, I have been a vampire for almost twenty years. What do you say to that?"

"I would say that is impossible and I'm not interested in games."

He raised a hand to stop her from leaving. "Ah, but it is the truth. Please, stay and I will tell you." She narrowed her eyes, but nodded in confirmation. "I was bitten and turned when I was a boy – barely five. My father was a Death Eater and there was a vampire who took certain... exceptions to Father's line of thought who lived near our home. He snuck into our house one night, forced his own blood down my throat and threw me off the roof. He did it to avenge his mate, whom had been slain by Voldemort himself several years prior, or so I was told. I guess that since Voldemort had fallen, this vampire decided attacking Death Eaters was the best revenge he could get under the circumstances." He paused, "Of course, there was nothing anyone could do for me; the damage had been done. My mother cried for weeks while I adjusted to my new life. Both she and my father were heartbroken that I would be doomed to spend eternity in the body of a five-year-old boy. Then, one day, while I was sleeping, my mother came into my room and closed the curtains, plunging the room into darkness so I would not be harmed. She opened the lid to my coffin and performed a very powerful, very Dark spell. At dusk, when I awoke, I found her dead beside me."

Hermione gasped. "I- what happened to her? I mean… how?"

He sighed. "She cast a spell so that I would age normally until I became fully grown. She also knew that, by casting the spell, she would die. The spell took her life for my own."

A single tear of blood made its way down Hermione's cheek. "But… but…"

Draco shook his head. "There was nothing anyone could do when she set her mind on something." He passed her a handkerchief to wipe her face. "And so… I grew up. I attended Durmstrang and received top marks, something not difficult to do with my vampiric mental capabilities. I kept to myself during the war, knowing that my father would be killed if I went against the Dark Lord, but not caring enough to actually join him. In the end, it didn't really matter, as my father was sent to Azkaban and Kissed after the war was finished."

"And now you're here?"

"Yes, I am here. I could stay at home and spend every last Knut of the Malfoy fortune, but I would rather surround myself with the young minds of tomorrow's youth. Yes, I know the money would eventually run out, but it's not as if I actually _need_ money to survive; it would be strictly recreational."

"Yes, that is how I feel as well. Not the money part, of course, but the teaching part… At least, that was _before_ this happened to me. Now I'm not sure how much of a danger I could pose to the students…"

"That is exactly why I brought you down here. I didn't say before, but I am taking over my Godfather's position of Potions Master; he has decided to retire. And, I believe I have a potion that will work much better than the ones he has given you." He rose, walked to a cabinet, and handed her a vial filled with crimson liquid. "This potion, unlike the others, helps you with self control and only needs to be ingested once a week. Since you are worried, though, I suggest you take it twice a week to start off with until you feel more comfortable."

She beamed, showing off her perfectly white fangs. "Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me! And it really works?"

Draco bowed his head. "Yes. Anything for a lady in need."

Hermione blushed and looked at her watch to avoid his gaze. "Oh! We must end now I'm afraid; it is almost dawn!"

He smirked again. "It seems you still have much to learn. You _can _be exposed to the light; you just need a little _help_. Go dream of the sun today, while I prepare, and tomorrow I shall make your dreams come true."

**Ok- what do you think? And please don't be turned off by the fact that they can go into the sun... I promise they won't sparkle. *Side note: if there are any Vampire Diaries fans out there, the first one to send me a PM with HOW they can go into the sun will get some kind of sneak preview of either chapter 3 or 4- I also_ might_(not promising, just saying might) allow you to name a chapter***

**Ok- now go REVIEW PLEASE! I can't make the story better if I don't know how I'm doing to begin with... I'll use the _might_ with the chapter title here too: If you give me a really good review(not good like 'I love your story' but good like with _why _you like OR dislike something) I will consider a chapter title name you suggest.  
**


	3. A Stone

**WOW- So I'm sorry that it took me so long on this chapter! Normally I can bust out a chapter in a few hours or so, but this one just really didn't want to come out... Even though it took me so long, I'm pretty happy with the result- so I hope you are too.**

**Oh, and no one got back to me with the answer to my question at the end of the last chapter. A few people said that they wore a ring, but I was looking for something more specific... So I guess I'll just have to think of some other question for later on... **

Hermione awoke the next evening to the complete darkness of her room. The reason it was dark, of course, was because her room was deep in the dungeon. She sat up in her bed, looking crestfallen; her vampiric senses informing her that the sun had set. "I do hope that Draco was being truthful about his claim last night."

"I was."

Hermione hissed, startled by the voice coming from the darkness, and scrambled for the wand stashed under her pillow. A figure emerged from the shadows, his peroxide blonde hair catching all of the minimal light in the room, and came closer. "Draco!"

A spark emitted from his wand and jumped to the candle on her nightstand. "It took you longer than expected to get your beauty sleep." He chuckled with a smirk.

"I- I- How did you get in here!?" She fumbled out of her four poster bed and darted behind a screen to change. When he didn't answer she glared at him over the top.

Draco was looking at her with a very amused expression on his face. "I have my ways…" She emerged from behind the screen and put her hands on her hips. "The rest of the staff arrived today."

"Yes, I already knew they would." She held open the door and waited for him to exit. "I'm starving." He held out his arm and led her to the Great Hall, where the rest of the staff was enjoying their dinner.

Before she knew it, she was pulled into a massive hug that previously would have forced the breath out of her. "'Ermione!"

"Hello Hagrid!" She squealed, unintentionally revealing her fangs.

"Well now, that'd be sometine to look at." Hermione flushed, closing her mouth again. "Now 'Ermione at's notin to be embarrassed abou'." She looked up and gave him a hesitant smile. "Best be gettin' back ter Fang now."

Hermione watched Hagrid leave, running her tongue along her teeth, a sad smile on her face. A warm arm snaked around her shoulder and she turned to look at Draco. "It wasn't as bad as you're thinking it was."

She stiffened. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"

He looked at her. "How about we get you something to eat and I'll explain all that later."

She allowed him to walk her to the table. Minerva gave her a warm smile upon their approach. "Hello Headmistress."

"Miss Granger, dear, I'm so glad you're here! Now, we've set up an alternative schedule this year for your-"

"That won't be necessary Headmistress," Draco interrupted her. "You see, there is a way for _us_ to survive in the sunlight."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you've said that… I also recall that you haven't said _how_ this is done. I do, however, suggest that you do not interrupt me again Mr. Malfoy."

He smirked and extended his hand. "Lapis Lazuli." Hermione looked closer and realized that the ring on his finger did indeed have the blue stone in it. "The Egyptians were the first to discover the healing properties of this stone. It is _said_ to be the stone of the angels." He smirked and winked at Hermione.

"So… So that's how you're going to get me into the sun? A stone?" Hermione bit her lip in nervousness. Even after having known she was a witch for half her life, this seemed a little too miraculous a thing to actually work. "I don't know… Does it really work?"

"I'm standing here aren't I?"

"You are really full of yourself." Hermione huffed and sat down in an empty chair.

After she had eaten her fill of food (it had tasted horrendously like dirt to her), Hermione looked up to see Draco gazing intently at her. She pressed her lips into a tight line and determined that he could look very intimidating when he wanted. "Is there something I can help you with Draco?"

"Take a walk with me; show me the castle."

It was a question, but he definitely didn't speak it as such. He so confidently caught her off guard that she couldn't refuse. So, she simply nodded and led him out to the Grand Staircase. "Watch you step on that stair; you'll fall right through. These staircases like to move as well, though, it seems they are more active when students are here." They walked through the halls, chatting about this and that (nothing too personal) long after the rest of the staff had retired for the night. Hermione stopped at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "This… was my home for seven years."

He smirked. "Cozy."

She smacked his chest. "No, you prat, this is the entrance! I would show you the Gryffindor Common Room, but I don't know the password."

Rolling his eyes, he sighed. "Yes, yes, I know, you silly girl. Now, come one; it's almost dawn and I promised you the sun."

Her cries of protest were drowned out by his laughter as he led her back the way they came. He only stopped once they arrived at the large doors of the Entrance Hall. With a flick of his wand, they swept open. All warning flags were blasting off throughout Hermione's body. She saw a dim purple color coming up over the forest. In less than ten minutes, the spot they were standing in would be bathed in light. "Draco…"

He grinned at her, having the audacity to look amused by her pained expression. "Don't worry; I didn't forget you." He pulled something from his pocket and held it out for her.

What she saw took her breath away. It was a thin, delicate golden chain. Attached to it, with a tiny gold wire, was a lapis lazuli stone. The golden specks in the blue stone glittered and matched the gold chain perfectly. Though the design was simple, Hermione could tell it would look magnificent with jeans and a t-shirt as well as with a formal ball gown. Quicker than she could sense, Draco was behind her. "Pull you hair out of the way." She complied with his request and gasped as the cool metal touched her flesh. Draco's hand ghosted over her bite mark as he released her hair from her hands. "When will I hear _your_ story?"

She shivered as his breath tickled her ear. Not wanting to look at his piercing eyes, she kept her back to him. "Well… Let's see if I live through this and I'll _think_ about telling you someday."

"Shall we then? It's time."

Her gaze shot to the open door and she saw that it was now bright pink above the forest. A wave of light had actually reached the threshold of the door and was making its way to where they were standing. To say that Hermione was shaking like a leaf was an understatement. She was completely and utterly terrified. "No…" She stepped back and pressed herself firmly against the opposite wall.

Draco smirked. "You look just like a scared little kitten."

Not amused with his remark, she hissed at him. She felt like she had just woken up at St. Mungo's; it had been quite a while since she'd hissed this much at anyone! He frustrated the hell out of her, but he was also helping her. It was a delicate balance on the top of a very sharp dagger. Hermione took a breath. It wouldn't do to push away the only one who was really helping her. She just needed to learn how to control herself- that was, if they lived through this.

Throughout her internal battle with herself, Draco had continued his staring. He knew she wouldn't believe that the stone would keep her safe. Hell, it had been pure accident that he had discovered it himself!

The line of light was now inches from their feet. Hermione knew that there was no longer a chance for her to safely escape; either the stone would work or they would both die.

"Fine," Hermione sighed, "let's just get this over with. If I'm going to die, I'd rather not have to wait." She squared her shoulders and began to move forward.

**Ohhhhhhhhh- Cliffhanger! Sorry! ****Don't be mad at me please.**

**I'd really appreciate any opinions, so please review and let me know what you think!!! **


	4. Into the Light

**So here's the next chapter! Sorry, but it took FOREVER to get it out! I'm a tad disappointed that I didn't get very many reviews on the last chapter... I was really hoping for more feedback, but anyway... here it is.**

**A lot of the last part of this chapter came from Vampire Diaries- not from me. So there's my disclaimer for that!**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione Granger had thought about her death many times. She had stared death in the face as many, if not more, times as Harry. The troll in her First year, the basilisk in her Second, Wormtail and Professor Lupin's werewolf form in her Third, hexed mail in her Fourth, Death Eaters in her Fifth and Sixth; Bellatrix and Death Eaters and Nagini and cursed fire and a dragon and Voldemort in her Seventh; and, of course, numerous renegade Death Eaters and a crazy vampire in the years following the war.

As far as she knew, at this very moment, she could very well be walking to her death – her final death, the one that would destroy her body, not just still her heart and stop her breath; by all rights, she should've died months ago. The rational part of her mind told her she should be grateful to have those few extra months, even if they were as an undead monster. Yet, as she took what she thought to be her last, unnecessary, breath, death was the furthest thing from her mind.

The sunrise was the most perfect thing she had ever laid her eyes on. Shades of pinks, yellows, purples, blues, and even greens melded together; they painted the sky above the forest in a harmony of colors more vivid and intense than anything her human eyes had ever seen.

The burning that Hermione expected never came. The light that touched her skin made her feel alive, more alive than she had ever been when she still needed the breath that had caught in her throat.

She felt warm for the first time in months. It wasn't just her skin that tingled with the sensation, but her insides as well. Hermione had never fully appreciated the daylight before. During her life, she had spent almost all of her time studying in the dark, dusty library. Now, that she was dead – or, rather, undead – she wanted to bask in the beams dancing across her arms. If there was a heaven, Hermione imagined it would feel something like this.

She found herself smiling at the flowing, grassy area before her. A sudden urge spurred her to run full out into it. Her arms spread out at her sides as she moved forward. Eventually, she stopped, turning in circles and laughing in delight the entire time.

She was happy, happier than she had been in her entire life. She realized that she was happier than she had been when Ron had finally proposed.

Ron.

She froze on the spot and frowned. She didn't want to think about him, didn't want to be that terrible wreck of a person she became when she thought about how he had abandoned her. Like a flip of a switch, her sadness disappeared completely. 'Strange,' she thought. It confused her but she just decided to ask Draco about it later,

"Oh, Draco…" Hermione turned to find the forgotten man leaning against a nearby tree with a smirk on his face.

"Finally remembered me, have you?"

Hermione felt her face flush. She had been so rude to ignore him, even if he was a high-and-mighty jerk who knew far too much about her for someone she'd just met! "I- I'm so sorry! I was just having so much fun- I can't explain…"

"Relax, you'll get used to everything eventually… It does help to feed occasionally too."

Hermione stiffened. No, that was something she had been adamant about since her change; she was not going to feed on another human if she could help it. She wouldn't become a monster. "I- No!"

"No?" Draco's eyebrows raised just slightly.

"I don't- won't- feed on another human. It just isn't right to harm when there are other ways to survive…"

"Hmmm…"

"I-" He raised a hand to silence her.

"That is going to make it more difficult to show you how to yield your Power, but I'm sure we can figure _something_ out if you insist on being an anorexic idiot."

"I- May I speak now?" Draco nodded in an indulgent, professorial way. "Well, I've already spoken to the Centaurs and some of them are willing to help me. The younger ones, of course, the ones who don't follow the old ways anymore. I figured it out and I would only need to drink a small amount from them once a week if I also drink Blood Replenishing Potion. And, who knows, with your new potion I may need to feed even less than that…"

"So you don't drink from humans?" She shook her head, "So you could still…" Draco trailed off, lost in thought.

"I could still what?"

He snapped his head up to meet her eyes. "Do you know who turned you?"

"What?" His question caught her off guard. "I… No, it was dark and we didn't realize it was a vampire we were tracking, and… And, well, it doesn't matter anyway…"

"How were you changed?" His tone was softer now, more gentle.

"It's… a long story. I don't like to talk about it because… it ruined everything good in my life." Just like before, the pain and hurt she felt disappeared as soon as she thought about not wanting to feel it. "What's going on with my emotions?"

Draco seemed lost in his own contemplation. "What? Oh, you only feel what you want to feel. If you don't want to feel something, then you don't."

"That makes sense…" She had to admit, it was a little freaky, but whether it be the brightness of the sun or the happiness she was feeling, she didn't really care about it either way.

"Was it painful?"

She nodded. "But some of its still there."

"That's because it takes Power to control that stuff. The more human blood in your system, the more Power you have. Power can do all sorts of things for you."

"Like what? Since I'm going to be like this for the rest of eternity, I'd like to know everything." She felt like a student again, learning a new subject. It excited her.

"Well… there's the movement and the mind reading, which you've already noticed. We don't really need to sleep either; it's just used as a convenient way to pass time. Or, perhaps, keep us sane. One of my caretakers, after my mother died, said I stopped sleeping altogether for the first year or so after her death. It probably explains a lot about me, actually… We can communicate telepathically with one another, as well as those with heightened senses – psychics, mermaids, werewolves, and such…"

"This is just all… so much. Why am I just finding out all of this now? Shouldn't I have learned this in school?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "It's not a secret, per se, but it's not something we broadcast either."

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Ouch! Damn, I keep forgetting to not do that!"

Draco chuckled. "We can also turn into animals."

"Well that's nothing new; witches and wizards can become Animagi too."

"No, this is much different. We don't have to go through any rigorous training to achieve it; we simply channel our Power through our body and transform. Most vampires can only change into one other form. Those that are _darker_, have more Power and thus can achieve several forms. It takes a lot of Power to change."

"I'd like to learn…"

He looked her over. "It'd be very difficult for you since your diet considerably lessens your Power…"

She pouted out her lip. "Well I'd still like to try." She looked very determined. "How… Do you have a form?"

He nodded, looking at the lake instead of her. "Two."

"Oh…"

He smirked. "Yeah, I had a few rebellious years… They're over now, but I still use both."

"If you don't mind my asking… what are they?"

He looked at her. She didn't know what he saw, but he decided to answer her. "My first form, my easiest, is a crow. I like the speed of travel and I can blend into dark places if need be." He chuckled at some inside joke. "My second is a wolf, obviously the more dangerous of the two. It comes in handy in fights when a wand won't do…"

"Do you get into fights often?"

"Like I said, I had a few rebellious years… You won't talk about your turning, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't ask about that.

"I- I'm sorry…" She felt low. Here she was, making the one helpful person she had feel uncomfortable and upset with her.

His jaw clenched. "Its fine, I just need to feed; it's been too long and my mood is showing it. I assume you won't be joining me so I'll see you later."

He turned away from her and began a light jog. Mid-stride, he seemed to become smaller, until blackness erupted from his body and a crow soared away from the spot he'd previously been.

**Soooooooooo... Let me know what you think! Seriously- I want to know! **


	5. A Trickle of Power

**I know, I know I am horrible for leaving all of you hanging like this. I've been super busy and haven't really been bitten by the writing bug lately. This isn't my longest or my best chapter but I hope you enjoy it enough to keep reading in the future... **

**Anywho- please leave me a review about what you think of the chapter and any suggestions you may have. I promise that I will try to update much sooner with the next chapter.**

Hermione waited nervously in the Entrance Hall. Tonight, at last, students would be returning to Hogwarts' hallowed halls. She was anxiously waiting for the First Years, as the older students had already filed into the Great Hall.

The past few days had been wonderful for her. Since she now knew that she didn't _need_ to sleep, preparing her classroom and lesson plans had been a breeze. Her 'lessons' with Draco had also been advancing; she could now, after several excruciatingly difficult hours, channel her Power to her eyes and ears. She was working on moving it to the rest of her body, which would lead to more fluid movements and, eventually, changing into her animal form.

Working with Draco, however, was especially tiring.

Hermione kept most of her questions to herself, so as to not upset him again, but it was so damn annoying not knowing much about the person she was spending most of her time with. More so than her curiosity, the actual work was painful.

To start with, she didn't even know what Power was, let alone know how to access it. Draco had used his Power to reach out to hers, which showed her what it felt like.

It hurt. It hurt a lot.

It felt like an electric shock and had knocked her to her knees. Of course, until she could distinguish it on her own, Draco had to keep 'shocking' her. Luckily, Hermione proved she was the 'Brightest Witch of the Age' and the action only needed to be repeated four times.

Never before had Hermione seen anything so beautiful as when she finally achieved the task of channeling Power to her eyes. –Not saying that her _Hogwarts: _A_ History_ was the more beautiful thing in the world, but, as the first thing she _truly _saw, it now held an even more special place in her heart.

Her ears, on the other hand, she could live without. Her increased hearing was not helping her very much at the moment. Words travelled through the heavy wooden doors to the Great Hall. -Words that floated from rumors currently being spread about the two new vampire professors.

Actually, make that about _one_ vampire professor. Her.

She felt… upset? No, that word didn't cover enough.

"…heard that she…"

"…found her in a creek bed…"

"…evil…"

"…suck us dry…"

"…no, at the bottom of a cliff…"

"…abomination…"

"…and then he dumped her…"

"…unsafe. She'll…"

"…fake sick if I have…"

Hermione took a deep, unnecessary breath to steady herself. The past few days with Draco had made her forget about her previous fears. Now, they were at the forefront of her mind.

_-What if they're right and I can't control myself? I don't deserve to be here- no matter how much I want it._

"_Stop it."_

Hermione whirled around, surprised only to find no one there. "Draco?" There was no answer, but she swore she had heard his voice.

_-I guess I'm going crazy now too…_

"_You're not crazy. I'm still at the Staff Table, but it seems that you've finally figured out your Power enough that you can project."_

_-I- What? Just… get out of my head please._ Things were confusing enough, at the moment, just dealing with her own thoughts. She didn't need his making things worse – not to mention the fact that she got a sick, creeping feeling each time she realized he was lurking about in her mind, looking at, quite possibly, all her most personal moments, when she knew nothing more about Draco than his name and the fact that he was so very powerful. That, and it was just plain creepy.

Hearing Draco in her thoughts was starting to creep her out.

"_I'm not in your head. You're projecting and I'm projecting back, so technically you're in my head."_

Hermione was stunned; she hadn't been _meaning_ to do anything like that, yet it so easy.

_I wasn't trying to do anything Draco – but if I'm projecting into your head, doesn't that mean you're projecting into mine?_

Choosing rather blatantly to ignore this, as he had most of the few questions she dared to ask,_ "Good, that means you're discovering your Power and more of it will come easier for you."_

_-Like my animal form?_

"_No, that is the hardest thing, by far, to master. It takes more Power than you have right now."_

_Oh… _That was just... upsetting.

"_You'll get there. In time. Which you now have plenty of, unless you do something unbearably stupid to get yourself killed. Now I know you aren't too upset by that – so what's really wrong?"_

Hermione blushed even though Draco couldn't see her.

_-I… It's just the students. What they are saying about me…_

Hermione felt a shimmer of Power in the Hall. Suddenly, the voices changed.

"…from Durmstrang…"

"…kind of creepy..."

"…turns into a bat…"

"…killed a…"

She was dumbstruck. Why would Draco do- whatever it was that he did- just to help her?

_-What did you do?_

"_Just compelled them to a change of subject- not a big deal."_ Hermione could feel his mental shrug, and was once again disconcerted by the strength of his Power and his mastery over it. If he hadn't been so blasé about it, she might've been infuriated by his constant superiority...

_-You didn't have to do that. I could have…_

Hermione broke off because Hagrid was now approaching with the First Year students. He gave her a quick nod before ducking into the Great hall. Fear radiated off of him in waves. Hagrid was _afraid_ of her? She hadn't noticed that a few days ago…

The young children were eyeing her wearily. A few looked ready to pass out or puke even. Some looked ready to do both.

She tried to smile brightly, without her fangs showing. "Hello and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a moment, you will be joining the rest of the students, at which time you will be sorted into your House. Your House will be like you family for the seven years you will be here. Once you have been sorted, you will join the rest of your House at one of the four tables. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. If there are no further questions, please form a single file line and follow me."

Hermione flicked her wand, opening the door. The room in front of her hushed until the only sound was that of the First Years behind her, hurrying to catch up.

"_Your movement is quicker. Apparently, stress does your Power good."_

Draco was looking at her, a smug yet proud expression written on his face.

**Okay, so let me know what you think in a lovely review! **


	6. Back and Forth

**An update! Finally! I apologize that it has been so long, but I have been really busy. **

**There is a new poll on my profile page regarding this story. PLEASE go vote!  
**

Hermione had been teaching for three weeks and was happy that she had not had a single incident regarding her need for blood in that time. Draco had helped her finish channeling her Power through her body and she now felt unbelievable. Yes, she wasn't nearly as fast as Draco, but she was faster than any human she had ever known. _Fred and George would love to be vampires_, she thought. _They would be able to play so many pranks on people this way. _

Fred and George- Now there were two wonderful people. Looking back, Hermione wished she had had more fun with them in school. They really could have used her mind and she could have used their sense of humor. It was a shame that she hadn't been born a year earlier. They had really taken to her after the war, especially since she was _supposed _to become part of their family.

Ron. She internally glared at him, especially since she tried to push him from her mind and was unable. _Damn, should have fed last night. _Ron should have been the first face she saw when she awoke at St. Mungo's, but that had been the beginning of the end for them. Hermione knew she should be happy for Fred, George, and Harry, but it should have been Ron!

"What should have been Ron?"

Hermione looked up from her place at the Head's Table. "Draco! What are you talking about?"

He smirked and sat beside her, placing his napkin on his lap. He didn't even look up from buttering his toast as he answered. "You were projecting again. Are you finally going to tell me your Awakening Story?"

Hermione snorted. "It wasn't a happy time in my life, so, no. Besides, you haven't told me about your rebellious phase."

Draco stiffened. "It appears we are at an impasse then. Are you still planning on coming out tonight?"

"Yes." Going out at night had become something to do once Hermione had realized that she no longer needed sleep. "I won't be joining you for _dinner_ though."

"Of course. So you will be visiting Colias before we go out then?"

Hermione nodded. "I should have last night. I'm having a difficult time controlling my Power today."

Draco looked up from his eggs. "You only have two classes today, and my classroom is right around the corner. You will be fine until later."

Embarrassed, Hermione looked back at her plate. "You know I hate it when you enter my mind."

"I didn't enter your mind; I just have figured you out in the past few weeks."

She abruptly stood and left for her classroom. – _It isn't fair that you have me figured out so soon. It would be nice if you would let me figure you out too._

"_But it wouldn't be any fun if I just _let_ you know these things."_ She could feel the internal smirk he sent her as well.

She walked faster.

* * *

Halfway into Hermione's second class, she was no longer thinking about Draco. No, currently she was thinking blood. All about blood and how delicious it would taste rolling down her throat. Her fangs elongated as she slowly made her way towards the terrified, bleeding student. Screams rang out throughout the room, but the only thing she heard was the blood calling her home. She readied herself to pounce.

* * *

A strange smugness radiated from Reed Muller long before he entered the classroom and Draco was determined to figure out why. He had been stumped by Reed since the first day of classes when he realized that the Sixth Year boy's mind was blocked somehow. It was something that Draco had never encountered, similar to Occulmency, but he had an inkling that it was far darker than that.

Currently, Draco was seated at his desk as his students completed a potion. To them, it looked like he was reviewing their essays handed in at the beginning of class. He was, however, attempting everything he could to gain access to Reed's mind. He just _knew_ that there was something different about today, something very important about today.

* * *

_Hermione: Beginning of Second Class_

Hermione was still fuming from her conversation with Draco as her second class began. She knew she should feel bad for the twenty-four inch essay she assigned her last class, but decided that they would be happy that she ensured they would be well-prepared for exams. _If only Harry could see me now, he would laugh at how I'm trying to succeed now where I failed with Ron and him_. She chuckled. Thinking of her best friend always put her in a better mood.

"Professor Granger?"

Hermione snapped back to reality as her favorite student entered the room. "Yes, Liam?"

"I was wondering if you were going to finish telling us about when you were in the war today…"

Hermione smiled. The week before her students had asked about the Death Eaters. She had ended up talking the entire class period about her adventures during the war, leaving out the parts about the Horocruxes. It had been a successful class in her mind; she was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, so, of course, it was successful to talk about the war.

Inside, she laughed at the "curse" her position had held while she attended Hogwarts. Not many professors had lasted more than one year since then, so, she supposed there still was a "curse" on the position, but it wasn't likely to affect her.

"No, we need to get back on track with spells today. Besides, if I tell you all my stories now, what will we do for the rest of the year?"

Liam's face fell. "Oh, okay Professor Granger." The boy turned and took his seat as the rest of the students filed into the room.

Hermione took her place at the front of the room and smiled. She looked teaching and was so happy that Draco had been able to help her curb her cravings.

* * *

_Draco: Still in class, exploring Reed's mind_

Draco had now given up on pretending to review his students' essays and was now blatantly staring at Reed, willing his Power to take over the boy's mind. From his body posture, Reed knew his professor was staring at him, but unlike a normal person who would look at the person staring at them, Reed had yet to look up from his cauldron. Reed's best friend, and potion partner, Louis repeatedly glanced at the now furious Draco.

Draco turned his attention to Louis. His mind was easy to invade; Louis probably didn't even know Draco was inside his head. "_He knows! Oh shit, he knows! What am I going to do? I knew this was a bad idea! Reed is so stupid! Why did he have to go after that Second Year?"_ Louis elbowed Reed. "Dude, he _has_ to know! He's staring at you now!" Even whispered, Draco could have easily heard Louis' comment from the Great Hall.

That was all it took for Reed's eyes to meet Draco's. His Power surged forward into Reed's mind in an instant.

His students never saw him move as he ran as fast as he could towards Hermione's classroom.

* * *

_Hermione: Halfway through Second Class_

Now she had planned on having her students go over spells today, but somehow Hermione found herself giving yet another lecture. She knew that some of her students were no way near as enthused as she was, but she was happy to see Liam furiously taking his notes.

"Now, as I was saying, the Freezing Charm can be very useful to use with Cornish Pixies…."

Liam reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of candy. Even from a young age, candy had always helped him concentrate and his professors had become used to him eating several pieces during class. He slid the wrapper into his pocket and continued with his notes. It took him several seconds to realize that there was blood on his parchment and that Professor Granger had stopped talking.

Liam slowly lowered his quill and raised his eyes to the very hungry vampire in front of him. The next few second went by very slowly.

The girl sitting next to Liam fainted, which was very surprising to him since she was in Hufflepuff. Of course, Liam very much wanted to faint at that very moment. He grasped his wand, but he knew it wouldn't do him any good against his very experienced professor. One student, he didn't see who, tried to make a break for the door before they were thrown back by a wand less spell from Hermione.

She slowly advanced on the bleeding boy. She no longer could see her favorite student, only a tasty meal. Her fangs ached to sink into that lovely neck and her feet moved her across the room. She thanked Merlin that he was in the front row and that much closer to her.

"So delicious. Don't be afraid."

It was strange; Liam knew that he _had_ been afraid, but he no longer knew why. All he never was calm and his classmates screamed around him. As she came closer he leaned his neck to one side; he didn't even need to think about it. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know and he relaxed against his chair.

Only the desk was between them now, between her and that beautiful blood. From one second to the next, the desk was in splinters against the far wall. Hermione was ready.

* * *

Draco ran as fast as his Power would let him. He could hear the screams as he threw open the door to Hermione's classroom. The room was in chaos. Students were under tables and on the floor. One student was fainted and another two fell into the hallway as he retched the door off its hinges. He took all of this in within less than a second, but what caught his eyes was Hermione. She was throwing a desk against the wall to get to a student who was eerily calm because of compulsion. Draco's fangs elongated as he noticed the boy's nose was bleeding profusely.

Hermione was almost on the student when he reached her. The next moment they were in the hall with the door magicked back in place. He wandlessly warded the door while simultaneously holding Hermione against the wall. She was furious. She was screeching while trying to throw Draco off of her body.

_The blood is gone! It's gone and he needs to pay!_

Her fangs were buried in his neck before Draco could react. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he slammed her against the wall in his attempt to detach her grip on him.

The blood pouring into her mouth was all Hermione could focus on. Her mind soared at the sheer joy it brought her. Eventually, the vampire she was punishing relaxed and allowed her to drink more. She moaned at the action. The very essence of Power filled her entirely, allowing her to reach further than she had ever imagined.

Draco felt the joy radiating off of Hermione as he succumbed to her. He knew he was a fool to have not expected her to act as she had. She was all instinct at the moment, still a newborn. Although, he couldn't deny that he probably would have done the same thing had someone denied him a meal.

He had heard that the exchanging of blood between vampires was the most erotic thing one could participate in, but he had never believed it. He now knew different. He could feel the pureness of Hermione's Power, of her soul.

It felt as if their minds were caressing. Hermione had never felt so close to someone as she did at that very moment. Draco's body was rock hard as he held her against the wall; it felt so good to have someone _that_ close to her again. Hermione moaned against his neck as his blood continued to invade her mouth.

_-Oh Draco this feels so amazing._

"_Yes, I feel like I can feel your soul. You're so pure inside."_

_-You're so strong. I can feel everything about you._

Draco smiled at Hermione's words. He knew he was strong, but he had never been told he was. He had worked hard in his life and he was proud that someone else was able to notice. He was strong, but at the moment he felt… weak? Draco's head began to feel heavy and he realized that Hermione was still drinking from him. _"Wait…"_ He knew it was too late, because his Power was no longer strong enough to enter her mind.

Her body actually felt heavier to him now. It was a paradox because he never thought that he could feel so weak, yet so _amazing_ at the same time. His body groaned without his permission.

"Professors!"

Draco felt the teeth leave his neck at the same time Hermione and himself looked up to see one very angry Headmistress glaring at them.

**So, by far the longest chapter to date. The next chapter was supposed to be part of this chapter, but it ended up being so long that I had to split them up. Which, hopefully, means that the next chapter will also be up soon. **

**Well, you know what to do now- Go review and don't forget to vote in my poll! **


	7. Power Play

**So here is my second update in as many days. **

**There is a lot of mental conversation in this chapter and I have a way of showing which dialogue is from Hermione and which is from Draco, but if you haven't been able to figure it out yet here it is:**

_-Hermione's dialogue_

_"Draco's dialogue"_

**Okay, how that makes sense... Now I haven't had very many voters in my poll and it is VERY IMPORTANT for the next chapter! So, please go vote!**

**Also, I've only gotten ONE REVIEW for the last chapter. I really want to know what my readers think, so please review when you finish reading this.  
**

Draco was barely standing, let alone holding up Hermione against the wall when her feeding was interrupted by one very pissed off Headmistress.

"What is the meaning of this!"

If Draco had the strength, he would have laughed at the expression on McGonogall's face. Hermione quickly unwrapped her legs from his waist and stood on her own. Actually, she was practically holding _him_ up now. "Reed Muller."

Both women in the hall seemed taken aback. "Excuse me, Mister Malfoy?"

"Draco?"

He swayed, trying to stand straighter. "Reed Muller gave one of Hermione's students a Weasley product. It was the one that gives a person a nose bleed. He thought it would be funny and a good way to get rid of Miss Granger; he doesn't like having a Muggle-born-vampire Professor."

Hermione gasped. "I- I could have _killed_ Liam! I don't even remember what happened. Did I hurt him? Is he okay?"

McGonogall swept towards the classroom door and attempted to open it.

"It won't open; I have it warded for the moment. It isn't safe for Hermione to be around all that blood right now. The children are fine, although one did faint."

"Draco, thank you. I never would have forgiven myself if I had hurt a student." He looked into her worried eyes and nodded. "Are you alright?"

"What's the matter?"

"Well, when Draco pulled me from the room, I attacked him and drank his blood. I think I took too much..."

Draco stumbled and Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around him to support his weight. "I'll be fine. I just need to get back to my room and take a potion."

"Of course! Miss Granger, please escort Mister Malfoy back to his room while I deal with the students. I will send for your report of the events later, Mister Malfoy." The Headmistress turned back towards the door. "Which spell did you use to ward this?"

"It's a spell of my own creation, but it will come off as soon as Hermione and I get far enough away." Turning towards the woman holding him, "Can we be off now?"

"Of course Draco! We should hurry and get you that potion."

Since she was so used to using her new Power, the pace they set was maddeningly slow to Hermione. They made their way along at a human pace, but soon reached Draco's room since the classrooms were located in the dungeons, near their private rooms. By the time they arrived at the door, Draco was near collapse, so Hermione wandlessly unlocked the door and ushered him in. "Where should I-"

"_The bed… through there…" _The picture of Draco's bed appeared in Hermione's mind as he showed her the path through his quarters. _"And the potion…"_ She also saw where his potions were kept; it was the same cupboard from the first time she had been in his room.

Not needing light to see, Hermione navigated her way to Draco's bedchambers. His bed was magnificent, obviously not the standard set of furniture for Professors. The wood was dark with a red tint, probably a cherry wood, and had a luxurious canopy hanging down. The bed sheets were covered in black roses with a red background.

Hermione tried to detach Draco's arms from her waist, but failed and ended up falling on the bed with him. It was so soft that she never wanted to rise. _Why does Draco need something this soft if he never sleeps?_ She did, however, quickly get up and retrieve the potion to recover Draco's strength. By the time she was back with it, Draco was completely passed out.

Hermione sat at his head and gently lifted it onto her lap. He moaned as she moved him. Gently shaking him, she whispered his name, but he did not stir. "Wake up."

When her actual voice didn't work, Hermione tried her mental voice, but, upon passing out, Draco's mind had locked itself down against invaders. She didn't know what else to do; they obviously hadn't gone far enough in her studies.

_Well I can't just pour the potion down his throat; he won't be able to swallow enough and he might choke. _

An idea came to her then and she decided it was the only thing that had a possibility of working, even though she didn't have one idea in the slightest of how to accomplish it. She wasn't sure how Draco had "shocked" her to show her what her Powers felt like, but Hermione thought that she understood the concept well enough to try it on him.

She pulled her Power into her mind, holding it as if it were a spinning ball. This time, she realized, that her ball was much larger than she was used to. _I have some of Draco's Powers too. _Hermione took her ball and launched it as hard as her mind would allow at Draco's form in her arms.

She felt the shimmer of Power ignite the room as her imaginary, mental ball hit its mark. And, apparently, Hermione's idea worked because Draco groaned a second later.

"What happened?"

"Draco! Oh, wow, it worked! Here, drink this before you pass out again!" Draco sputtered against the liquid Hermione rushed down his throat.

Once he finished the potion, Draco relaxed against Hermione's lap. He chuckled. "Did you hit me with your Power?"

Hermione blushed. "Well, yes… But you wouldn't wake up and I couldn't think of anything else." His eyes met hers and he gave her a look of disbelief. "It worked though! Don't look at me like that!"

"_You should have some of my Power now too, although it will wear off eventually."_

_-Yes, I already figured that out when I woke you._

"_Smart vampire. You may be able to awaken your animal form now. Though, you still may not have enough Power since you didn't take enough of mine to kill me."_

_-I think I would have stopped before that had happened…_

"_You would think, but you're still new and coming into your skills. You could very well have killed me."_

_-I… you don't know that…_

"_Relax. I'm fine now, so you don't need to worry about it."_

_-I'm not worried about that; I'm worried about what would have happened to Liam if you had not shown up to stop me._

"_Yes… Even if I hadn't figured out Reed's mind, I would have heard the screams… but it would have been too late at that point."_

_-What will happen to him?_

"_Liam will be fine."_

_-No, I mean, what will happen to Reed?_

"_Why does it matter? He will probably be expelled."_

_-What if I don't want that to happen?_

Draco fought against Hermione's arms to sit up. Once she relented and he had risen, he stared into her eyes. "Why wouldn't you want that?"

_-I… _"I mean, he should be punished for what he did to Liam, but I don't want him punished for what he did to me."

"You're insane."

"But Draco, he's just a boy. And this will ruin his life…"

"That was his choice Hermione! Why can't you understand that! What is wrong with you!" Draco was furious, furious at Reed and furious at Hermione for trying to be the humanitarian everyone talked about her being. "You don't even care that he almost destroyed your life!"

"My life already is destroyed you jerk!" Hermione slapped him before she realized what had happened. "Draco…"

"Don't!" He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Seeming to calm a considerable amount, he reclined against one of the bedposts. Very slowly, he open his eyes to glance at the terrified vampire sitting across from him.

"I'm-"

He raised his hand to stop her. "It's fine." He closed his eyes again and crossed his arms against his chest. The toll of the day was beginning to wear on his body. All he wanted to do was feed, but he knew that he would need to rest for several hours and take another potion before he would be able. "Tell me your story."

Hermione gasped. "B-but Draco… That's not something I wish to share."

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "You almost drained me of blood and you attacked me with your power; I think you owe me." Her horrified look made him chuckle. "Come now Granger; I told you mine and it can't be worse than that."

"Well… I suppose you would understand me better… Will you tell me about your-"

"Not yet."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. "I don't think I'm ready yet. I'm sorry."

Her refusal irked him. Draco had never had someone refuse him so many times. He pushed the remaining Power he had into her mind. She shoved him back. "You know, it's not fair to use my Power against me."

"Hrmph!"

"Fine, well then at least try to access your animal while we're here."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she froze. "Show me how to do it first."

"You know I can't in this weakened state."

She gulped and looked at him with frightened eyes. "Come now Princess, it's one of the other."

Met with a challenge, Hermione's feral side awoke. He could feel her summoning up all the available Power in her body and concentrating it in her mind. "Now release it Hermione."

A gasp escaped her mouth as her body shifted.

A smirk appeared on his face and a feeling of pride emitted from his body as he admired the form in front of him. "Lovely."

**Thank you for reading. Please remember to vote in my poll and leave me a review telling me what you think. **


	8. Bird of Angels

**And now for the long awaited reveal of Hermione's animal form... duh dun dun. Drum roll anddddddd...**

She felt like an angel. It was the only way to describe the beautiful form into which Hermione had been transformed. Her wings extended from her body and she felt as if she could take flight away from all her problems at that very second. Her claws dug into some fabric and she quickly took in her surroundings. The room was dark, but strangely it wasn't gloomy. It was the kind of room that _had _to be dark to be appreciated. Her eyes took in a handsome man sitting at the opposite end of the bed, yes that was what she was sitting on- a bed, and he was staring at her as if in awe.

Hermione cocked her head to the side and contemplated this man- Draco, she remembered. And she remembered who she was and _what_ she was and everything about her, up until this point, very sad life. As the two looked at one another, Hermione realized that this man- vampire- was actually the cause for some new-found happiness and, for that, she was grateful. She tried to smile, but realized that in the form she was currently in, it wasn't possible- at least in the way she wanted. She actually wasn't even completely sure what her current form was.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room for a mirror- for certainly Draco would have a mirror. When she found none, she was surprised and looked at him dumbfounded. When he realized what it was that she wanted, he chuckled. "Haven't figured out what you are yet?" He still looked weak from their earlier escapade, but he stood and walked to the wardrobe. On the inside of the door was a floor length mirror. Draco walked back towards her and extended his arm. He smirked as she dug her talons into his arm. "Did you not take enough blood earlier?"

Draco moved Hermione closer to the mirror and, if she had the ability, she would have gasped. Staring back at her was a beautiful white eagle. The eagle's head cocked. _Is that really me? I- I'm really something, aren't I?_

Hermione was so used to seeing bald eagles, for they were much more common- but the beautiful, white eagle she'd transformed into was something she had never laid eyes on before. _How could I have created this when I've never seen anything like it?_ Her talons and beak were golden, and her feathers matched the pureness of Draco's hair. From far away, she probably could have been mistaken for a dove- the true angel of birds. Hermione's insides smiled. _Maybe I can be my own angel then._

"You want to fly, don't you?"

She hadn't wanted to earlier, but now that Draco had mentioned flying…

_-Yes…_

She could feel his internal chuckle- in fact, his arm shook with laughter as she stayed balanced on him. "I think I'll have a potion for the road and we'll be off."

_-Are you going with me?_

Draco raised his eyebrow and smirked. "You really don't want to go out alone now, do you? And, besides, I need to feed at some point anyway. We can get me something after you stop by with Colias."

_-Alright, but only if you're sure that potion will hold you over._ She mentally bit her lip. She _really _wanted to go flying.

"Don't pretend when we both know you're dying to be in the air."

In her own way, Hermione smiled.

* * *

She took to the sky as soon as Draco reached the Entrance Hall. The sun was bright outside and she rose higher and higher until she could see for miles. It wouldn't have been difficult to stay in her current form for a long time, she realized. If not for her need of blood, life would be easy as an eagle.

The sound of flapping wings altered her to Draco's arrival. He shot past her, cawing in laughter. They quickly began a game of chase that lasted for about an hour. When they were finished, Draco led them to the top of a tall tree on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

"_Are you enjoying yourself?"_

Hermione looked at him. _–After that? Draco, you know I am._

He shook his crow's head. _"No, I mean here. When I met you, you were miserable with your life. Now… you seem much happier. At least, I hope you are."_

_-I am. Of course, that would be because of you. I mean, without you, I wouldn't even be here right now. You know I would have found a way to quit and I would probably be holed up somewhere completely isolated from the rest of the world. Now,_ she cawed. _Now, I feel completely free and happy. _

He contemplated her for a minute. _"I'm glad." _

Hermione looked at Draco, then- really, really _looked_ at him. She realized that their relationship was probably the best relationship she had ever had, and it wasn't even a romantic relationship at that.

_-Let's go somewhere; I want to tell you my story now._

_

* * *

_**Okay, let me know what you think in a review**_  
_


	9. Hermione's Story

Draco rose into the air, leading them to one of the smaller islands in the middle of the lake. As he descended, his body reverted back into his human form. He landed gracefully and brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulder. Hermione spun above him, opting to land on a low bough of the single tree, before abandoning her eagle form. Draco reclined on a large boulder at the base of the tree, crossing his legs out in front of him.

Hermione felt childish sitting in a tree, but, since she had never successfully climbed a tree in her life, she decided that she was allowed to do as she pleased. She thought back to time they had just spent in the air and a strange notion occurred to her. "Draco, why would I change into an eagle when my Patronus is an otter? Shouldn't my animal form say something about me, like a Patronus does?"

"In part, yes. But, think about it, you aren't the same person as you were when you first cast your Patronus. And your animal form doesn't _have_ to represent your personality, not really." He looked up at her. "Have you thought about my _two_ forms? About why they would be what they are?"

Hermione blushed and looked away. "Well, not enough to have any real theory, but I have wondered what you would look like as a wolf."

Draco chuckled. "I'm black, just like my crow form. But the reason you're an eagle is because it's a bird. Birds are the most commonly developed forms, especially birds of prey. Of course, it's because birds are smaller, which means they use less Power, and they are fast. With Power, fast always equals good. The quicker you are, the better advantage you have over an opponent. Damage is also an intention. Birds of prey are very powerful animals that can cause a massive amount of damage. Darker vampires, like… me also use another form that is capable of causing even more damage. For instance, would you rather be attacked by a crow or a wolf?" Hermione nodded in understanding. "Exactly. Quickness and damage are everything. You'd probably never find an otter form with a vampire. I'm not saying that an otter is a bad animal, but with vampires it's all about the hunt."

Hermione looked across the lake to where the sun was setting. Her thoughts drifted to earlier in the day and she shuddered.

"You don't have to tell me your story now. I understand that you've been through a lot today."

She shook her head and looked at him. "No, I need to tell you. I've been letting everything eat away at me for far too long. I'm beginning to think that by hanging on to it, I'm not allowing myself to adjust fully."

"What happened today was not your fault Hermione. Reed is a sick kid – believe me, I've seen inside his head. Nothing you could have done would have prevented what happened."

She nodded. "I'm just going to jump into it, because I think I'll lose my nerve if I wait any longer. Is that alright?"

"Okay. Whatever you need."

She took a deep breath and began.

* * *

_Hermione followed quickly behind Ron and Harry as they ran through the woods. The moon gave off the only light in the area, creating shadows everywhere she looked. This was her last mission before she left for Hogwarts, and Hermione was determined to complete it successfully. _

_And quickly. The woods were bringing up memories of the war that Hermione did not care to relive. The sooner they caught this man and went home, the better. _

_Harry halted them at a clearing. The moon showed dry riverbed at the base of a very tall, very menacing cliff. Hermione looked up and imagined what it would have looked like when the river was full. There was probably a waterfall emptying from the cliff at one point. _

"_Come on," Ron huffed. _

_Harry shook his head. "No, the trail splits here. We need a plan before we move on. Hermione, what do you think?"_

_She moved forward and knelt beside the tracks. "The one on the left looks older… Let me try something…" She moved her wand in complicated movements, muttering under her breath. The tracks leading to the left lit up with a bright, gold dust. "They were disguised to look older. The right trail is the false one. Let's go."_

_Ron, who had been leaning towards the trail on the right, quickly took the lead. Harry followed behind him and Hermione went last. She was sure that Ron had discovered a lead and had set a faster pace in excitement. Soon, Hermione could no longer see either man. _

_Hermione felt a strong sense a déjà vu wash over her. She could swear that she had been in these woods before. It was like a dream she had once had as a child. But this present gave her many more chills than any nightmare would be capable of._

_Hermione ran in the direction she thought the other two had taken. After a few moments, she could hear Ron and Harry arguing up around the next bend. "There you are!"_

"_Hermione, we thought you'd gotten lost. Harry and I were just about to come find you." Ron came up and hugged her. "Had me worried that I wouldn't have a bride to meet me at the altar anymore…" He smiled. _

"_Oh, Ron…"_

"_Come on you lovebirds. Unless you two have forgotten, we've got a criminal to catch." Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Hermione, do the spell again."_

_Hermione disentangled herself from Ron and started waving her wand in the same pattern as before. The entire area around them lit up with light this time._

_Ron let out a low whistle. "Well, I guess we're in the right place… What do we do now?"_

_Harry circled the area, stopping at a wide tree. He grabbed the lowest branch and pulled himself up. "We wait. Now get up here."_

_Ron, being the tallest, had no problem following Harry. As soon as he was settled, he reached down for Hermione's hand to pull her up. _

_She reached as high as she could, and then stood on her toes to reach Ron's hands. Finally, she was able to get a good grip and felt him start to pull her up. She felt Harry's hand grab the back of her jumper and pull to help Ron, but the collar began to choke her. "Harry, let go; you're choking me."_

_Harry climbed up higher. "What are you talking about 'Mione?"_

_Realizing what Ron had said, Hermione began to thrash about, letting go of Ron's hand and trying to disengage herself from whatever had her in its grasp. She hit the ground hared, hearing the crack of her ankle breaking as she landed. Ron also heard it and lit his wand to see what had happened to his girlfriend. _

_With the light jumping from Ron's wand, Hermione was able to see her attacker. He towered over her, looking every bit as menacing as the mission details had described. He was pale and his hair shaggy, much as if he had been living in the woods for a long time. Right away, Hermione could sense that something was different about this criminal than all the others she had been sent to capture. _

_She was proved right when he threw her over his shoulder and ran at a blindly pace towards the cliff they had seen earlier. She thrashed, determined to not make it easy for him, and hoping to allow Ron and Harry to catch up. Instead of stopping at the base of the cliff, Hermione felt the air leave her lungs as her attacker scaled the edge, only stopping when he reached the top. _

_She saw Ron and Harry break into the clearing fifty feet below her. The man who held her was laughing at the astonished expressions on their faces. "You are all fools!" he bellowed. "No one can defeat me for I am a god! Now you will see what I do to those foolish enough to challenge me!"_

_They could only watch in horror as the man bit his wrist and forced it to Hermione's mouth. As the blood was pouring down her throat, Hermione realized just what it was they had been tracking._

_A vampire._

_As quickly as it came, the blood was gone. Then, Hermione knew nothing except for the air rushing past her as she was pushed over the edge._


	10. What Now?

Hermione realized that her hands were firmly clasped in her lap by the time she was finished telling Draco about that night. She took a deep breath to steady herself and looked up to meet his eyes.

He was staring at the ground, as if in deep contemplation. His head was shaking back and forth.

"Draco?"

Abruptly, he stopped. "I'm so sorry." It felt so little, but it was the only thing he could think to say at the moment. "So… Ron?"

Hermione closed her eyes. "When I woke up at St. Mungo's I expected him to be at my bedside. Instead, I found two of his brothers and Harry." A tear of blood ran down her cheek. "Harry said that Ron had left soon after the Mediwitches told him there was nothing that could be done for me. I- I looked down and saw my engagement ring was gone. I knew it was over then."

Rage filled Draco. _How could someone be so cruel to the one they love?_ "You didn't deserve that."

Hermione sniffed. "I know, that's what Harry said. And Fred and George – they're Ron's brothers the ones that were there. He poisoned the rest of his family against me – so they were the only two I had left. The three of them really helped me through the first few weeks. The twins – Fred and George, I didn't tell you they were twins – well, they got in contact with Snape and got me those potions. I wouldn't have been able to come here without them."

"The twins? As in the ones who run that joke shop?" He let out a dark laugh. "If it weren't for them, this afternoon wouldn't have happened!"

Hermione hissed at him. Fred and George had helped her more than anyone else in her most desperate hour and _no one_ would speak ill of them to her. "Their business has nothing to do with this afternoon! They are two of my very good friends and you will not speak of them that way."

Draco could see that she was mad. Her lack of blood was affecting her emotions and he would have a fight on his hands if she didn't get blood soon. Vampire blood was fine to drink, but it didn't have enough sustenance to sustain another vampire for very long. He knew that his blood was quickly leaving her system.

"Hermione," he began in a soothing voice. "Please, calm down. We both need to feed."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. And we've been out so long already… Let's just split up and meet back here before morning."

She changed into her eagle form and flew off.

* * *

Feeling Colias' life energy inside her was heaven. The centaur blood was so much more magical than normal, human blood. Hermione cawed as she circled above the island, slowly descending. Draco was already back on the boulder, waiting for her. When he saw her, he changed into a crow and rose to meet her. _"Do you feel better now?"_

_-Yes, I do. How are you? Did you get enough blood?_

"_Yes, I'm fine. My Power is fully restored now."_

As the banks of the lake came into view, Draco shifted back. "Let's walk from here," he called out to her.

She changed back right beside him, smiling the whole time.

"I have a feeling I've created a monster by showing you how to do that…" he chuckled.

"Oh shut it you prat," she shoved him, giggling.

They walked side-by-side towards the castle. The sun was just peaking over the tops of the trees when Draco took off at a full sprint.

Hermione stopped, confused by his behavior, until she saw what was at the bottom of one of the turrets.

It was a body.

She took off after Draco, determined to reach it. Draco was kneeling over Liam by the time Hermione arrived.

"Draco…"

"Shush!" He leaned over the broken boy, searching for any signs of life. Suddenly, he stiffened. "We need to get him inside." Draco looked over his shoulder at the sun. "Now!"

"What…?" Hermione began, but Draco was already throwing open the doors to the Entrance Hall, with Liam's body in his free arm.

She followed as he tore through the castle, heading for the Hospital Wing. _Why is he taking him there? He's dead; I heard the silence in his chest…_

The room was pitch dark by the time she arrived. Draco was ushering Madam Pomfrey into the room and sending a Patronus at the same time. The silvery wolf bounded off in what Hermione knew to be the direction of Minerva's room. "Draco, what the hell is going on?" Poppy took Liam's wrist and felt for a pulse. Suddenly, a surge of Power shot through the room, knocking Hermione back. "What was that?"

Draco began to rush from the room. "I need to get my potions. I'll be back before Minerva arrives."

Hermione was left alone with Poppy. Her mind was racing. _What was that Power I felt? It wasn't Draco's Power and I don't know who else it could have come from… Is there someone else here who is a vampire? Well, that's just silly. I would know if someone else was like me… Wouldn't I? Yes, yes I would. But then where did that Power come from? It couldn't…_ She looked at Liam. "Madam Pomfrey, is he really dead…?"

Draco raced back into the room, nearly knocking Hermione over. "Pomfrey, I need those restraints. And it is imperative that he does _not_ bite anyone."

"Draco…" Hermione began. _It can't be what I'm thinking, can it?_

Minerva, still in her nightclothes threw open the doors to the Hospital Wing. "Professor Malfoy, I received your Patronus. What has happened?" She noticed Poppy in the process of strapping Liam's arms to the bed. "Oh my…"

Hermione recognized the restraints. "Draco… Has he been turned?"

She steadied herself for the response she knew he would give. "Yes."

Bloodied tears ran freely down her face as Liam gave off a low, painful moan.


	11. No Longer Safe

"No," she whispered. "No, Draco, please no. He can't-" The bloodied tears blurred her vision as Hermione gestured towards Liam.

She _couldn't_ have done this. It was _impossible_. She had fed off a centaur – she very distinctly remembered doing so, remembered the salty taste and exhilarating feel of the creature's blood running like lightening through her veins. But Draco was too careful to have done this... It must have been her. It _had_ to have been her...

She was a monster.

Draco's strong arms enveloped her and she allowed herself to fall into his embrace, taking whatever solace she could. She couldn't deny herself that. Especially when she would lose everything after this. "There's still a way…"

She quickly pushed away from him. "What? Really? What do we need to do?"

Draco grimaced and the ray of hope Hermione had felt was blasted away. "It won't be easy. And it will take very strong willpower on his part."

"Professor Malfoy, what are you talking about? Vampirism has never been cured successfully. If there were a cure, I would have been trained in the matter," Poppy interrupted.

Draco felt three sets of eyes on him as he set into his explanation. It pained him that Hermione's held the most hope. Hope he was sure she felt for both Liam _and_ herself. He knew at that moment that although he had made her life easier, she would ultimately choose to reverse the process that had been done to her. "He's still what we call a 'Virgin Vampire.' Hermione, you're one too."

"I'm going to interrupt you right there… I'm," she blushed. "Well, I'm _not _a _virgin_, Draco."

He nodded in understanding. "No, it's not _that_ kind of virgin. It means that he's never _bitten_ a human, just like you. You can still drink blood, but as long as you don't pierce the skin, you can turn back."

"I've never… oh," Hermione whispered as realization dawned on her. Finally, his reaction when he found out that she didn't drink from humans made sense. "Draco, I-"

"So why hasn't he turned back then?" Minerva interrupted Hermione's confession.

"Well, that's where it gets… _complicated_." He took an unnecessary breath. "In order for him to revert, his _sire_ needs to be destroyed. It would be the same for you, Hermione."

"Oh. My. Merlin." Hermione's words echoed all of their thoughts... But Draco would not have suggested that both of them could be cured if her death was necessary to save Liam – and she felt she would gladly die if that's what it took to save her favorite pupil from this curse – which mean that she couldn't have done this...

He could be saved. They both could be saved.

"Professor Granger…?"

Hermione whipped around to see Liam struggling against his restraints. "Liam? You're awake!"

"What's going on? I feel so weak and my throat hurts."

"Liam," Draco stepped forward. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Professor Malfoy? Why are you here too? And why am I tied up? Am I in trouble?" Hermione's heart broke when she saw the bloodied tears fall freely from his eyes.

"Liam, you're not in trouble, but I need you to focus. Can you do that for me?" Draco leaned down to block Liam's view from the rest of the room. He knew how hard it was for newly changed vampires to focus. "Liam, do you remember what happened last night? How did you get outside?"

Liam's head swayed and Draco gently pushed him back down. The small boy moaned. "I'm so thirsty…"

Hermione placed her hand on Draco's arm. "Draco, can I try?" He nodded and she replaced him on the edge of the bed. "Liam, do you remember what I told you about the war?" He continued to moan, but nodded in response. "Liam, you know that I have helped defeat many bad wizards. Now, all I want is to help _you_, but I can't do that without your help. Do you think you could help me?"

"I- I think I was the last one in the Common Room… It gets really fuzzy after that."

"Good, good. Now, can you remember anything else? Try _really _hard for me, okay? Even a little, tiny detail will help me."

Liam leaned his head against his pillow and tried to swallow away the pain in his throat. "Well, there was this… _voice_ I think. There was definitely _something_ outside the window last night." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "It wanted me to invite it in. And… I think I did. I couldn't help it."

The four adults in the room paled at what Liam had implied. If he had, indeed, invited the vampire _into_ the castle, then no student was safe.

"Compulsion," Draco whispered.

Minerva pulled Draco and Poppy aside. "We need to gather the rest of the Professors… We need to inform them of what has occurred and that Hogwarts is no longer safe. This attacker could very well be inside the school at this very moment." She steadied herself. "I will be writing to parents and the Ministry. Our school must be protected."

"Wait," Draco said. "I think that we will only be in danger during the night. I mean, the lapis lazuli is _very rare_ and I am the only vampire that I know of in possession of the knowledge. Perhaps we should set about extra patrols at night and, for the time being, allow the students to remain blissfully unaware."

Minerva deliberated for a moment. "As good as that sounds, I have to inform the parents. Something as serious as this must be addressed, especially if he or she, has access to the school. Poppy, please gather the Professors so that we may meet before breakfast. I will be in my office consulting with the other Headmasters."

Draco was disappointed that Minerva had not taken his advice. But, after his rebellious few years, he had accepted that he would not always get his way. He understood that parents need to be informed, but he was afraid of the backlash that would be directed towards Hermione and himself.

Speaking of Hermione, she was still trying to get any information out of Liam. Draco took a place in the chair beside the bed and began to ready the potion.

"I'm sorry, Professor Granger, but I don't remember anything else. Will you tell me what's going on now?" Liam pleaded.

Hermione took a deep breath to steel her nerves. "Liam, the _voice_ that wanted you to let it in… Well, it-"

"It was a man. I remember that now!" Liam beamed.

"Good, Liam. That's good." Hermione tried desperately to hold back her tears. Liam was trying so hard to please her and she was about to break his world. "Liam, the man from earlier… He was a vampire. Do you understand?"

"Not really Professor…"

"Liam… Draco, I can't. Please…"

Draco nodded, understanding just how close Hermione was to falling apart over her favorite student. "Liam, the vampire that talked to you earlier also did something else to you. Now, this is very hard to understand so just try to listen. Liam, he turned you into a vampire."

"A… A vampire? So… I'm like you, Professor Granger?"

"How about you call me Hermione now? I think that would be okay, don't you?" Draco placed his hand over hers to give her strength.

"Prof- Hermione, is that why I'm so thirsty? Because I need blood?" She nodded. "Well, if you're a vampire, then it won't be _so_ bad I think."

Hermione wanted to walk straight into the sun. Liam's strength was just too much to the very fragile situation. _–Why the hell can't I control my emotions?_

"_It's because you're too emotionally involved with this. You're too close to the situation. I understand exactly what you're going through but try to remain strong for him."_

_-Alright._

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring similar to his own. "Liam, you need to wear this from now on. It will protect you from the sun. To be safe, _never_ take it off. Do you understand?" When Liam nodded, Draco continued. "Now I want you to listen _very_ closely to what I'm about to tell you. It is _imperative_ that you do _not_ bite anyone."

"Why?"

"Well, we don't want to get your hopes up, but there may be a way to reverse what has happened to you. But it won't work if you bite a human."

"But if you guys are vampires, why can't I stay as one?"

"Liam," Hermione grabbed his hand. "It may seem like fun right now, but there will come a time when you might not want to be a vampire anymore. Please, just promise me that you'll do as Professor Malfoy says."

"Alright Hermione…"

Draco's heart broke as he realized that, given the choice, Hermione would choose to revert back into a human. He had begun to think that he would at least have one friend to last him until eternity. Now, it seemed, those hopes would be destroyed before they even began. He had let himself believe he wouldn't be alone for the rest of his life. He would now have to get used to that idea again.

He didn't even try to push back the depression that swarmed his mind.


	12. Stupid Aurors

**Alright, so I really don't like the title for this chapter, so if anyone has any better ideas let me know!**

**Enjoy**

Draco swirled his brandy around in its glass. For him, it always took the edge off, especially at times of great stress. Like now.

Now, for instance, Draco was sitting in his darkened quarters while Aurors questioned him. _–What right did they have to question him? The assholes._ He was probably the only one capable of stopping this madman from striking again, from sentencing more students to his horribly prejudiced life. _–Assholes. The Aurors just _being_ here presents another challenge to this maniac – some sweet, beautiful challenge to overcome. _

It was something Draco understood and remembered very well. Yes, he had been very much like this vampire at one time, but with one very different aspect. Draco had taken lives, yes, but to actually _turn_ a child into a monster like him? That was unforgivable, a line Draco could not cross. He couldn't comprehend the motives behind it. _–Why a child? It doesn't make sense… If he's building a coven, turning a child doesn't make sense. And it can't be for revenge because Liam's parents are Muggles. Nothing about this situation makes sense._ Even though he had fed only hours before, Draco was thoroughly pissed off.

And even though he had no idea how to go about it, Draco knew that he was the only one capable of destroying this vampire and helping Liam.

He sighed.

Of course, defeating _this _vampire would only lead to the task of finding Hermione's sire and killing him as well. And then he would be alone.

Again.

Forever.

He really wished he could keep her.

He took a long sip of his brandy and focused his attention on the Aurors sitting across from him. "… blood sample to eliminate you as a suspect."

He choked on his brandy in an attempt to stifle his laughter. "Seriously?" They did not looked amused. "That won't do anything in eliminating me, or Miss Granger for that matter. There is no trace of the sire's blood left his the victim after the transformation has occurred. Even if I did change Liam, which I didn't, you would never be able to tell from my blood."

The female Auror in the group looked up from taking notes. "Well, _is_ there a way to tell the sire of a vampire? And how can you be sure about the blood? For all we know, Mr. Malfoy, you could be lying."

He gritted his teeth. "I'm _not_ lying. And much of the knowledge I have I've learned from my own kind. And, no, there is no way to tell who the sire is; there is a small possibility that their Powers may be similar, but it's not a guarantee."

The woman let out a small harrumph and set about looking through his belongings with the rest of her team. Two Aurors, who Draco recognized as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, made their way over to him. After hearing Hermione's story, Draco was furious with Weasley and happy to ignore him for however long the man stayed. Potter on the other hand, Draco would tolerate, if only since he had helped Hermione through her transformation.

Weasley looked thoroughly smug as the two men reached Draco's chair. _Probably thinking of the many raids his father performed on the Manor. Too bad he never found anything. Bet he would have _loved_ to find me in my coffin… Would have tasted disgusting for me, but it would have taught that freckled freak to respect his betters- something Lucius wasn't able to teach him. Obviously it's something _this_ one needs to learn._

"Hello parasite," Weasley sneered. "Looks like you finally messed up. Sucks for the kid, but I'm going to enjoy staking you."

"Ron…"

"No, no Potter, let him continue. It seems like great fun for him to ramble on about things he doesn't know. Funny how the disgusting blood traitor thinks he's better than me," Draco drawled. "I wonder, does he think he's better than his former fiancée? I mean, he must think that with the way he left her. Now, how much money did it take for that pitiful family of his to pay off the _Daily Prophet _to keep everything a secret? Strange, since that's what must have happened since not many people are aware of Hermione's transformation, or that she used to be engaged to Weasley here. I wonder how few Galleons of the Malfoy fortune it would take for them to be interested enough to run a story – a story about what a coward he is. Why, no one wants a cowardly Auror, do they? I wonder…" He finished his glass with the end of his speech and watched while Weasley sputtered.

Harry took Ron and shoved him towards the rest of the Aurors before he faced Draco. "That was unnecessary."

Draco just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I paid them." Draco looked at Harry, who was stone-faced. "I paid them so that Skeeter would leave Hermione alone. It wasn't for Ron; it was for her. After he left…" Harry shook his head. "I couldn't let her be a piece of meat for the media. Not again. Not now. She's had enough of that."

Draco sat in stunned silence.

"Alright Malfoy, let's hear your story. I want full details about how you found the body if we're going to catch this guy."

He groaned. "Potter, look, I've already told the Headmistress and I'd really like to not get in it again. I've got to tend to Liam again soon and I'd like it if you lot were out of my quarters by then."

"I understand, but we need to make sure everyone's stories match. So, please begin."

He hissed, something that he must have picked up from Hermione. _Great, I'm acting like a newborn again. Wonderful. _"Alright. Hermione and I parted at one of the islands. I flew to Hogsmeade to find someone to eat." Harry shuddered. "Hey, you asked what I did. So, I found a drunk witch coming from the Hogshead and took her to an abandoned alleyway. I compelled her into being… _agreeable_ and drank. Perfectly legal, since I didn't drain her dry. She went home in a happy daze and I flew back to meet Hermione. I beat her back to the island; she arrived a few minutes later. We flew to the bank and walked from there."

Harry interrupted him. "Wait- you flew? How did you fly? Hermione doesn't fly; she hates flying."

Draco snorted, something very unbecoming of him. "She does now Potter. You should talk to her- I don't want to ruin the surprise." He didn't seem to believe him, so Draco continued. "While we were walking, I noticed Liam lying at the bottom of one of the towers. I ran to him, felt his Power forming, saw the sun rising behind me, and ran him to the Hospital Wing so that he didn't burn to death. Pomfrey, McGonagall, and Hermione all met me there. I explained to Liam what had happened, while McGonagall and Pomfrey were contacting _you_. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Potter checked over his notes and shook his head. "Other than how Hermione _flew_, no. We'll leave your quarters and let you get to the boy now."

Draco smirked. "Hear that Weasley? Looks like big, bad Malfoy gets off again, now please put down my journal, since no one knows where your disgusting hands have been."

The man in question blushed a deep, unattractive red, while his coworkers had a laugh on his expense. While he probably thought Draco had been satisfied, he could not possibly further from the truth. Draco would not stop until he saw that Ronald Weasley paid for his indiscretion against Hermione.

"Oi, Malfoy, there was one more thing…"

He was already beginning to tire of Hermione's friend. "Yes?"

"McGonagall said something about you being able to cure this vampirism; is there any truth to that?"

"Yes."

Harry waited. "And…?"

"And, I have to find and kill his sire. Then, if he hasn't bitten a human, he is reverted into a human once more."

"Oi, why can't he bite anyone?" Weasley demanded.

"A vampire loses his humanity with his first puncture of human flesh. So, if a vampire never bites a human then he never loses his humanity. For all intents and purposes, he is still a human. Killing his sire, is how a vampire severs ties with the bestial part of himself."

"So, if you never lose your humanity and you sever ties to the vampire part of yourself, you can become human again?" Harry whispered. Draco nodded. "Shit."

**Alright, let me know what you think. **


	13. Harry Snaps

**Yes, I know it's been awhile, but at least this will make up for the cliffhanger from the last chapter. **

**Enjoy.  
**

"Shit? Potter, what do you mean by that? What did you do?" Draco was in his face, ready to use every weapon in his arsenal to find out why Potter had reacted so vehemently.

Harry ran his fingers through his already messy hair. He looked ready to puke; Draco took a step back, not wanting to become his target. Ron came up on Harry's side and lowered him into a chair. It seemed Harry was only capable of muttering one-syllable words at the moment.

Draco took the chair opposite Harry and leaned his arms on his knees. "Potter, I have the ability to find out exactly what you meant by that utterance, but I will give you a chance to explain before I resort to that. Do you understand me?"

By now, the rest of the Aurors knew something was going on between Draco and their favorite Boy Wonder. They began to abandon their searches to move closer to the pending gossip. Draco growled and they stopped moving.

"It's my fault…" Harry whispered.

"What, Harry? What's your fault?" Ron asked, shaking his friend.

"Yes, Potter, do tell; I'm beginning to grow impatient," Draco drawled.

Harry shook his head, wiping his hands over his face. "I- we… I mean…" He moaned.

"If you vomit on my Persian carpet I will not be amused, Potter."

"Fred, George, and I were with Hermione when she woke up at St. Mungo's." He looked pointedly at Ron. "_You_ weren't there. _You _had already taken back your ring and left her. _We_ were there! We- We thought we were helping her… She was so thirsty and we were just sitting there. The Mediwitches said it wouldn't hurt anything if we gave her some of our blood."

The female Auror who had questioned Draco stepped forward. "So, you mean to say that you allowed her to drink from you? That… That is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard! Of all the unsafe, idiotic things you could have possibly done you… Do you realize that she could have killed you? She is _one of them_ and you just threw all your judgment out the window!"

Harry allowed her words to simmer before he exploded. "Enough! Maria, you need to leave."

She looked back at him with outrage written across her face. When it was clear that Maria would not leave, another Auror stepped forward and escorted her out of the room. She glared daggers at Harry the entire time.

"Not to change the subject or anything, but what the hell was that, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "To put it politely, I... declined her advances a few weeks back… She's still a bit mad."

Ron stared off after her. "But… she just asked me to dinner…"

"Not that your tale isn't entertaining, Weasley, but I believe we have bigger things to discuss at the moment," Draco interrupted. "Now, Harry, I want to hear every detail of this."

"There's nothing to tell, really. I mean, Hermione was in pain – real pain – and the Mediwitches said that they could either get donor-blood for her or we could give some of our own. I mean, she's one of my best friends. What did you expect us to do? Sit there and watch her in agony while they went through all the proper channels to get her the blood she needed. So I gave her some of my blood and, when it became clear that just one person wasn't enough – at least, not without taking enough to kill me – Fred and George gave some of theirs." He pulled up his shirt-sleeve. "I still have the scar on my wrist."

Draco looked and saw what was clearly a scar resulting from the bite of a vampire; the two puncture marks were a lighter color than the rest of the man's skin. He was very familiar with them, having left similar behind on his own victims.

It seemed that now Draco had the chance to actually keep Hermione after all, but he still didn't know why she had lied to him. She had clearly said that she did not drink human blood the first time he had taken her out into the light, and she always drank from the Centaurs instead off joining him for _dinner_. There were numerous occasions over the past few weeks that they had discussed diets, but she had led him to believe that she was a 'virgin vampire.' It could be that, although there was no hope for her to turn back into a human, she would rather be without him in her life. It's not liked he blamed her for that, really, since he _did_ have such an awful past, but he liked to think that he had the potential to make up for his mistakes.

He looked up to realize that Harry and Ron were talking to one another. Ron looked furious. "But you are my best friend, my _partner_. I can't believe you would go and do something like that behind my back, and then never even tell me, especially when it was _my former fiancée_ involved. I can't believe you would break that trust to do something like this! Even when it was the three of us, you always chose her over me!"

Harry actually looked calm, which added great credit to his character. "Actually, Ron, I have chosen you over her far too many times. You forget that you left us, and more times than just once. I owe Hermione with my life several times over and much of the fault belongs to you. The only part about this I regret is that I took Hermione's humanity away from her! She- she has been a sister to me, and I repaid her by destroying her…" His green eyes flashed with danger. "You left her, Ron; left her when she needed you the most and you blame _me _for abandoning _you_? How dare you!"

"Harry…"

He held his wand in Ron's face. "_Shut up!_ You know what… An Auror is supposed to be trustworthy and loyal; he's supposed to be there for his friends and allies. Give me your badge, Ron. Now!"

Ron's mouth was gaping. "But Harry, you can't do that!"

"I'm the Head-Auror, Ron, I can do whatever the hell I please. Give me your badge and I will get the council together to decide what's going to happen. Now get out!"

Ron threw his bag at Harry's feet and sulked over to the fireplace. Green flames erupted as he shouted his destination.

Harry slumped into the chair he had just jumped out of. The day was definitely taking its toll on him. Draco smirked, "You know, a vampire bit releases endorphins…"

Harry glared at him. "After everything I just heard, I won't be giving blood to anyone- no matter how close I am with them."

Draco nodded. "Good, that's what I was hoping you would say. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to have a talk with Hermione."

**As always, please let me know what you thought. **

**And, I am not completely happy with this chapter title (or the title of the previous chapter), so if you have any ideas let me know. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Audrey  
**


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